Joseph Hill Interview by Issa Kelly and Steve Serpiente
 

Introduction from Steve Serpiente
My cell phone was abuzz with messages from friends on August 20, 2006, informing me that my childhood hero, Joseph Hill of Culture, had passed away while on tour in Berlin the day before. A reggae fan since I first discovered Jah music in 1982 (man, I am getting old), I have endured the losses of other musicians I had idolized in my formative years, namely Peter Tosh, Dennis Brown and Augustus Pablo. But the news of Joseph's passing hit me harder, much, much harder.

As a teenager growing up in suburban Chicago, I spent literally hundreds of hours sitting in my parents' basement, headphones on, studying album covers as the vinyl spun on my old Techniques turntable. The stylus saw heavy action on the Culture LP's, especially Two Sevens Clash, International Herb and Lion Rock. I eventually came to acquire virtually all Culture releases on either LP or CD, or both, with the exception of some extremely rare 7" and 12" 45 rpm records which sell for a small fortune on eBay. (OK, actually I did breakdown and buy some of those 45's for $20 & $30 a pop, but don't tell my wife.)

Flash forward to 2000. A writer at heart, I began dabbling in writing occasional concert reviews, the perks being free admission to shows and the opportunity to meet and greet some of the artists. I soon became a contributor to ChicagoReggae.com, and shortly thereafter I linked with the exceedingly helpful and well connected Issa Kelly, who became my partner in crime in various interview endeavors.

Having interviewed Everton Blender jointly the month prior, Issa and I set our sights on a shot at a sitdown with Mr. Hill as Culture was to appear at the Wild Hare on Chicago's North Side on October 21, 2001.

I contacted Culture's booking agent, the affable Dave Jacobs, on his cell the afternoon of the show. He gave me the hotel's phone number and Joseph's room number. With some hesitation, I worked up the nerve to dial Joseph's room. I was quite nervous when speaking with Joseph, and I probably came off as a 14-year-old kid. Joseph was very polite on the phone, and we scheduled a 4 p.m. interview time at the hotel.

The plan was to meet Issa in the hotel lobby at 3:30 p.m. to review our questions and prepare for the interview. Arriving a few minutes ahead of schedule, I decided to walk down the street to a White Castle to get a Coke. Walking back, who should be coming down the sidewalk but Joseph Hill himself. I introduced myself to him and told him I was just waiting for Issa. Joseph said he was taking a walk to find something to eat. He came back two minutes later, empty handed. (I did not expect Joseph to come back with a big white bag of sliders.) He told me that he was "going to take a peek down the other corner." Retuning empty handed again, I asked Joseph what kind of food was looking for.

"For me myself, I don't care. But my wife want Chinese food," he said. I told him my car was right there in the parking lot and offered to drive him to find a Chinese restaurant.
Not being real familiar with the neighborhood, it took a while to finally stumble onto such an establishment. (There are definitely nuff Mexican and Middle Eastern eateries in the area of Clark & Foster.)

In the meantime, we were listening to a compilation tape I had put together - stuff like Glen Washington, U Roy, Michael Rose, Heptones, Luciano, etc. Joseph was quietly singing and humming along. He asked me if I could "fill up a tape of Glen Washington" tunes for him. Unfortunately, time did not allow for such a project, and to this day, I regret not just yanking that cassette out of the tapedeck and handing it to him.

Seeing a vehicle speed past us down Clark with screeching tires, Joseph told me how he and some musicians had rented a car in Washington, D.C., to drive to a studio in North Carolina (or Virginia, I don't recall exactly).

"We decide fi test the car - see how fast it go," he said, noting they were soon pulled over by a highway patrolman. "The police dem go crazy." Although one musician was caught with some herb, the ever crafty Rastaman Joseph came out of the ordeal clean.

We finally found a Chinese restaurant -actually a whole Asian market place - in the 4900 block of N. Broadway. The parking lot of the place was packed, and a line of about 5 cars waited for a spot. After waiting in this line a couple minutes, Joseph told me, "Go round all dis, mon. Yuh haffi do someting fi yuhself 'cuz nobody's gonna do nuthin' fi yuh." Following Joseph's instructions (who am I to argue with Joseph Hill?), I darted around the waiting cars and quickly found an open spot in the back corner of the lot. Good call, Joseph.

After getting the food (chicken fried rice), Joseph wanted to duck into a little Asian grocery store, where he bought a huge $16.50 bag of cashews, some snack crackers and some fruit. (The store didn't have the pita bread Joseph wanted.)

Returning to the hotel after almost an hour (I thought this was going to be a 15 minute trip), I left Joseph at the hotel to eat in peace with his wife Pauline. Issa (the poor woman had no idea where I was the entire time) and I killed time in the room of guitarist Robin Armstrong and backup singer Telly Nelson. We then knocked on Joseph's door. Joseph answered and suggested that we do the interview backstage at the Wild Hare before the show.

Somewhat disappointed, Issa and I headed to my car. Backstage interviews are iffy at best as they can be riddled with distractions (ie interruptions from others backstage, people glad-handing, pictures being taken, partying, etc.), which tend to discourage intimacy. (Our 2001 backstage interview with Everton Blender was marred by a man constantly interrupting, vying for Everton's attention until Everton firmly told the offender to wait until he was finished with us.) Anyway, as we were opening my car doors, Joseph stuck his head out of his hotel room door, and, perhaps prompted by his wife, invited us in to do the interview right then in his room.

Meeting a childhood hero can be disenchanting when the "hero" turns out to be rude and arrogant in real life. However, Joseph conducted himself with utmost respect and humility. There was no aura of superiority emanating from him. Rather, there was an air of equality about him as we sat and conversed. Joseph was a true humble African, a messenger of the King's music with no hidden agenda. I feel blessed to have passed a couple of hours with him that October afternoon.

Introduction from Issa Kelly
My favorite memory of Joseph happened in late 2002. I was in Jamaica either at East Fest or Rebel Salute Media Launch Party and Joseph came up to me wearing his stunning red long jacketed suit and bowler hat with a little “ta da” step with his hand out said, “Is this better, Sister?” I smiled widely and said, “Much better.” Then we greeted each other properly.

Joseph asked if I approved of his outfit was because the show that evening of the interview at the Wild Hare Joseph was dressed in all black and there was no colorful backdrop for the stage, which has back acoustic foam. I sweetly chided him after the show about making my job as a photographer hard. A black man, in black, on a black stage is nearly impossible for someone with my talents, or lack of, to pull off.

My best friend, Liz, and I were in woods of northern Minnesota at a cabin when a friend called to notify us of Joseph’s passing. This news struck me like a pain in my heart and the first two people I thought to call were Sister Irie and Diane Issachar, two of my dear friends. Through the tears and sobbing they comforted me. They understood the loss of this unique person, his perspective on life and his way of communicating were gone from us forever.

This interview has always felt very personal to me and I was uncomfortable with the thought of its publication. There is a time where Joseph says, “I’m wondering if I should share this with you” and then continues. This is why it took six years and Joseph’s passing to feel comfortable with its release. I hope you will feel that personal connection as well.

Transcribing, verifying and editing this interview has been difficult and emotional for me. There are times while editing the transcription and listening carefully, because I wanted to make sure I got every word and phrase correct, I would bawl eye water one minute and then laugh the next. My fellow commuters on the train might think I had some “issues.”

I apologize in advance for the length of my questions. I have learned if I ask short questions I get short answers and that was NOT what I wanted from this “messenger, not employed by anybody but The Most High.”

My heart and love go out to the very gracious Miss Pauline - who made us feel welcome in their home away from home, Kenyatta, Robin, Telly, Albert, and the rest of the band, Joseph’s family and extended family. I simply can’t imagine how deeply you all miss him.

The Interview - Innerview

S. Serpiente: In the early 70’s you recorded at Studio One with a group called the Soul Defenders. Can you tell us a little bit about the vibe at that time with Coxsone Dodd and Studio One?

Joseph Hill: Well, the vibe when I reach back the whole thing. One, you could not pass him by with any form of immature work. Anything he passes it is possible in any musical domain. Then, within that same stream of vibes, we happen to meet a lot of company and first generations of reggae, which actually is our musical offspring.

S. Serpiente: 1977’s Two Sevens Clash album is truly a classic, timeless record. I’ve talked to many people who point to that record and hail you as a prophet. What was your inspiration when you made that record and how did those songs come to you?

Joseph Hill: See, there are two answers which provide themselves for this hearticle question. One, the people made a wrong interpretation of the meaning. Two, I was not being asked a question about the real meaning, at present or in the same era. Because, all the media had their conclusion locked, infrared, on one thing, which is the expectation of a civil war.

Now, out of my corner, if the rich meeting the poor, talking to them, bring or are bringing into being a non-segregative nation globally, then I don’t think, from the corner of love love itself would be asking too much of people to give.

So, within that same term then it leads me on to say each human have got nine passages seven of them are in your heads. So if both eyes are not looking at each other, focusing what is truthfulness, honesty, shamelessness to proclaim what is right on a democratic level, then they won’t see what is the meaning of the Two Sevens Clash.

S. Serpiente: The period in the late seventies when you worked with Mrs. Sonja Pottinger were particularly fruitful; Harder Then The Rest, Cumbolo, and International Herb were recorded then. Can you tell us a little bit about that period?

Joseph Hill: Yes, that was a period of, let’s say, mid to late seventies. Of course…Let me turn to Mrs. Pottinger herself.

As a female in a male dominated world of music at the time I really lift my hat to her. She really did her job. Because she was slight a bit different from the rest of the promoters. Of course she had that finished taste about her. Everybody has their bad side of who they are, there is no perfect person. But then she had a motherly touch about her. Something to always tell you which you could listen to, get for it sometime in the future.

I was really happy working with her although mistakes were made contractually. But, as we have said, there ain’t no perfect person. As for her [Phone rings – sentence inaudible]… much respect.

S. Serpiente: In the 80’s and 90’s you recorded some dancehall riddims, like Capture Rasta and Life, with roots and culture lyrics. What’s your assessment of the current state of dancehall music?

Joseph Hill: Well, [pause] I look in the dancehall field and find that people are trying to play lazy music to gain the same attention that a person relentlessly making effort to do this thing right.

There is but one appreciative way about doing things, I believe from a personal point of view, and is the right way. Then if it’s not done right the world will see.

Issa: It’s always evident in the action and the result.

Joseph Hill: Most definitely.

S. Serpiente: Culture has never been about gimmicks or slackness.

Joseph Hill: Never and I will never ever.

S. Serpiente: And I appreciate that, as a fan, I can always buy a Culture record with confidence. I’m always going to get good music.

Joseph Hill: Oh yea, I make sure. There is something that some people don’t stop to give the people that they really do deserve, which is some respect.

Respect in terms of their effort to listen to you, respect in terms of their part of the love for the music, whether it be your music or another music, music as a whole, one language all across the globe.

S. Serpiente: Last night I was listening to Lion Rock and it reminded me to ask you if you’ve ever hear the Spanish version of Psalms of Bob Marley that is done by a band from Argentina called Los Pericos?

Joseph Hill: [a slight air laugh through his teeth] Maybe the PRS hear about them more then I do.

[All Laughing]

S. Serpiente: The reason I ask you is to show the stretch of your music.

Joseph Hill: I’m not any way disturbed mentally or feeling any way hurted or misused. Why? Deep in my heart there is a spot of willingness for the outlet of my music.

Fact of all the matter is I won’t be here always because a man that is born of a woman, but a short time to live.

Then again Shakespeare make reference – he said ‘Life is but a pause from womb to the tomb, but it then is for us to decided what is the length of that pause.’

Saying that to say this I’m just here doing my time, within my time, during my days, soon time to go my way. [he laughs lightly].

S. Serpiente: Culture’s music has always sounded distinct to me, easy to differentiate from different groups, even without hearing your vocals on it.

Joseph Hill: I like it that way. [All laughing]

Issa: Individual.

S. Serpiente: Over the years you have had several backing bands; Revolutionaries, Roots Radics, Dub Mystic, and a whole assortment of studio musicians, but you always get that distinct Culture sound. For instance – off Humble African [recorded in 2000] there’s probably five songs that sound to me, like Poverty is one, they sound like they could have been on the Nuff Crisis album, which is from 1989. I’m just wondering how you always illicit that same sound or vibe out of the musicians that you’re working with?

Issa: How do you instill it in them?

Joseph Hill: 20/20 hearing

Issa: 20/20 hearing! [All laugh]

Joseph Hill: I have perfect hearing. If I tune a guitar all by myself….I’m wondering if I should share this with you….if I tune a guitar all by myself and I go to a piano I’m not very far away. So, that is perfect hearing.

Issa: As long as the piano is tuned as well

Joseph Hill: [Laughing] That’s right. And if it’s not tuned well I can tell you.

S. Serpiente: So you serve as the musical director too?

Joseph Hill: Yes, I myself stands like a tuning fork.

Issa: I was just going to ask you – do you find that it’s what comes into you and then flows out of you and then, no matter what musicians that you use, you’re the center of that?

Joseph Hill: That’s right, the reservoir system, which is your mind, to retain and contain and all that. It’s alright, it’s all clear. I don’t worry to remember the names of places we’ve played. I’ll catch up with that too soon.

S. Serpiente: On Humble African you did three combination tunes. One with Marcia Griffiths, Morgan Heritage and Tony Rebel.

Joseph Hill: That’s right.

S. Serpiente: Other than some twelve inch 45s featuring DJs like IRoy, Prince Mohammed, and Ranking Trevor, Culture records typically don’t have guest singers or DJs. Do you like the combination format and if so, is there somebody in particular you like to work with.

Joseph Hill: Yea, yea, you know, umm, guess what? There’s a thing that stays in music over the years. Some time helps the music up, most time, yea, most time help up. And some time just a little bit too much in the wrong place helps it down. Because big mouth, big mouth [Joseph chuckles] Now, big mouth is a thing to music.

S. Serpiente: Scientist whipped up a wicked dub mix of Pay Day on the album called Scientist Dubs Culture into a Parallel Universe there is also a dub mix for One Stone and I was just wondering if we can look forward to anything like that for Humble African?

Joseph Hill: The fact is that this big mouth goes all the way into the people’s choice. There ain’t no great knowledge in closing the door of what would and what would not, because sometime you go to the studio and find some good vibes with some people and there ain't no border to the rules of music. You just sing all out.

Issa: You do it the way you feel it.

Joseph Hill: That’s right. I still got to leave such an answer.

S. Serpiente: Alright.

Joseph Hill: To the result of vibes.

S. Serpiente: Do you like dub though?

Joseph Hill: Yea [there is a humph in the background from Miss Pauline, Joseph’s wife, as if that was an understatement – makes me laugh every time] Yea I love dubbing because it goes right to the district of the sound system. The fact is I can’t live without music. I am very very miserable without music. I don’t want myself without music.

Issa: I think you’re in the majority. There’s a lot of people where music is life and they can’t live without it.

S. Serpiente: You’ve toured the world extensively, can you tell us about your experiences the first time you left Jamaica.

Joseph Hill: Well, the first time when I left Jamaica I came to New York and the first thing, when I looked at the building I passed a remarks about the verbal term that was used that hesitatively about the term “New York?” Cause there was all old building in there and they were saying “New York.” [laughing with Steve and Issa]

Issa: Cause it was “Old” York.

Joseph Hill: Right, and that wasn’t only difference day to day I see people doing things that we wouldn’t normally, we wouldn’t normally do. Feeling upon this is that, we object, feeling up on what then, who am I could stop their life from going on? What can I say? Enjoy yourself, have a good time, soon see daylight tomorrow.

Issa: Did you go into culture shock when you first came from Jamaica into the US and just couldn’t believe some of the things that you saw. What was one of the things, besides some of the old buildings should be new buildings, what were some of the things you just couldn’t believe your eyes were seeing for the first time?

Joseph Hill: Alright, okay. One of the first things I saw. I went down the street to find some herb. They were selling herb in medicine bags, but then that wasn’t so bad. Coming back I saw two old men with one quart of Night Train each. [laughing]

S. Serpiente: Ouch [All laughing]

Joseph Hill: And they were outside of a convenience store and they turn it all up their heads and drunk it. [making gargling sounds] and they swat their knee with the bottom of the bottle [he makes a loud smacking sound with his hands] saying [in a raspy voice], “After I drink this I don’t care, a, excuse my language.” [All laugh].

You know that was a different thing that doesn’t really go on in Jamaica. A person would normally drink a beer as you know and rey rey rey. And see the old men going into the bar and if the rum was it measured carefully, because it is dangerous [laughing]. Seem like if nobody wanted to measure it over here, they drink it by the quart.

And a little after that you go down the street you see their [the Night Train drinker] lips peeling off, shine like a red bulb, just screwed in. A little after that they are somewhere inside one of dem homes, too fat to be meager, too meager to be mentioned, rough, you know. People are living in the land of opportunity and some of them are not taking care of themselves.

S. Serpiente: Do you have a favorite place to perform?

Joseph Hill: Well, boy, I love to have a fat, understanding crowd, irie and there are two places I find that out of America. Because America has a touch of every little thing. So let us get out of “out of many one people” a bit and step down the road so.

Europe and Africa, including England, because when they are keeping festivals in England, they’re not a little tiny one tent festival. That’s not how it is in Europe. 10 or 15 tents up on a 100 acres of land. And at different times or maybe the same time 2 or 3 different bands are playing. So can you imagine how much people are on the grounds?

The last time we went to Switzerland, were talking about 75,000 people down in a valley. See when that festival was… when we did the last song all they have to do to disburse the people is break it out in a fireworks. Let people far and wide can know – yes the last band has played [then makes explosion sound effects]

Issa: [Steve and Issa laughing] It’s time to go home now.

Joseph Hill: [Joseph laughing] It’s time to run on home to look for your kids and your Moms and your Dads. But you know, um, music take home great joy that could be achieved nowhere else but in the land of music, because if you’re bad, music can make you better. It can also make you worse if you listen to devil music too. You’ve got to be care of that. Because there are the devil’s advocate lying around doing everything the righteous people try to do. Life and peace, equal living, democratic practices amongst each other.

S. Serpiente: I read somewhere you guys had some problems in Canada awhile back.

Joseph Hill: Yea, Canada is a country on the boarder that ain’t got no respect. One reason why I say they ain’t got no respect; they believe that it’s everybody want to take marijuana inside their country. Now, from my corner, no. I am not taking marijuana in no man’s country. The amount which is to be in your country you plant it all for yourself. I’ll get some of it. I’m not taking it around. Why? I’d be shortening my little bit. [lets out a chuckle to see if we catch his meaning]

Issa: Yea, you’re shortening your pause. [Steve and Issa chuckle]

Joseph Hill: I’m back eating out my barn. You know what I mean? So these guys came and searched the coach. They could not believe it’s true they didn’t find anything.

So then it seemed the color of my skin start now to becomes a sin. So I said, “Look, you’ve taken all of my belongings out of my coach. The law give you a right, if there isn’t that evidence of anything called a crime you should replace what you took from the coach. If you cannot fit them all back in then you call an assistant and we will willingly help you. But you just cannot leave our things there like that with our coach open up like butterfly and all the rest of it as if we are some criminal or the other.

When we, when none of us there never had a charge in our lives. We are one clean set of clean musicians going on for years. Just because you know nothing about us and maybe we are not coming to your north back yard to clean your floor you want to treat us like dogs and I put a stop to it.

I said, “Look, if you don’t stop that now I’m going to have them stop you on the internet. Cause I’m going to expose your dirt through the media.” That’s what I did.

I wouldn’t take anymore of it.

Issa: I always think back to when my eyes were open to Rastafari and one of the questions I like to ask is – each of us is born of Rastafari. It’s something that is instilled within and it’s in our souls, but I think there is a time that each of us come to a realization that, especially when you are battling against the social norms, when some people become the black sheep of the family. I think if the Twinkle Brothers [Issa poorly sings Since I throw the comb away]

Joseph Hill: Ah yea, oh yea

Issa: My question is when did you remember or is there a story you can convey that you came to that understanding and that realization like your eyes were finally open to the truth of Rastafari.

Joseph Hill: Well, the fact is that I’ve had the opportunity to give the Rastafarian faith a deep in look from an early age and stage of life as a home grown religion.

Issa: One of your songs talks about when you were eight. When you had the influence, what you saw [Humble African, Why am I a Rastaman.]

Joseph Hill: Well that’s exactly what I’m looking back at right now. And from those time I realized that those brothers weren’t just for folly. NO. And no matter what anyone wants to say Rastafarians happen to be one of the modern main-stream of ancient history.

Issa: Kevin Kinsella of John Brown’s Body was saying the same thing [or at least along those lines] that reggae music reminds him of, it’s the closest thing that each culture and each generation has to their ancestral rhythms and it’s so well accepted by different cultures because the fact that it’s such a core.

Joseph Hill: It slice deep into the everyday natural life of people. If it’s not on the right, look over on the left, if not on the left look up, if it not up there check out your toe, it’s down there and if it’s not down there look forward, it you can’t see forward look check where you coming from. You must see it, you’re in the middle of it.

Issa: There is a question that a friend of mine asked and she wanted to come to a better understanding of how you feel, your thoughts and your perspective on how Rastafari helps with the emancipation of people and helps with the – let me get the proper word she used [grabbing for a slip of paper] liberation. The liberation and emancipation of people as a whole and you feel that Rastafari as, for a lack of a better term, a cultural group.

Joseph Hill: Because you see, for the liberated minded person, cause remember, you have to liberate yourself from that mental slavery of whatever made your religion or belief. You are the one which have to know that “I’m not the only person in the world thinking this way.” You are not alone.

So, therefore, all this was created with the genes of the world as a method for man to see themselves on a simple level. Because, when the birds seeing that it’s getting to winter they don’t stay there and parish. They migrate, but they still resemble themselves in the new habitat.

So then, in the days of Prince, Priests and Levites and them when they were telling people that you are not acceptable because you are of that tribe and you not accepted because you are of that tribe. NO!

Rastafari funnel it down now to One Love, the point of the pyramid, One Love. Hear? The sun is one big ball, but its ray spreads all over the earth. Still go back to one sun, One Love.

Issa: Do you feel that because Rastafari brings you to the point of One Love and within that understanding is what creates emancipation from mental slavery. I always talk about the main stream is the stream I don’t like to swim in. And so I think about that sometimes.

One of the gentleman here in Chicago, Ras Daniel, he works with the Livity Nyahbinghi Choir, and he has said that we always have to be aware that no matter where we think we are there’s always another Rasta. [that’s the end of the Ras Daniel’s words – I don’t want to put words in his mouth from this point]

Joseph Hill: Yea.

Issa: And no matter what our discipline is we have to come together as one.

Joseph Hill: That’s right.

Issa: Because the creation of each discipline we have it’s almost like they’re trying to separate us. And when you have one match you can break it, but when you have ten matches it’s almost impossible to break.

Joseph Hill: That’s right, see, it’s like the school should be teaching some of what we are saying here. But instead of that, they are telling them about the Chinese and the Indians and the Hoonoonoons and the Noonoonoons. Let’s concentrate on man. No man is better then no man. Every man is the same man. When saying man, includes woman. Because without a woman there wouldn’t be no man and without a man there wouldn’t be no woman. So everyone is one.

So even the disrespects and the no mentioning of the women within let’s say B.C. or early A.D. All that is wrong, all that is wrong. Because Christ is born of a woman. So that is wrong, that is wrong.

I mean that is one of the reasons why war never leave the East. Because a woman cannot open her mouth and scold the children. They have to call it. And that’s wrong.

Issa: One of my friends was saying that the people that have been around for a long time; you and Burning Spear and some of the other people are as successful and continue to stay in the music business because of the strength of a woman that support them,

Joseph Hill: Yea

Issa: and run the tours,

Joseph Hill: Yea!

Issa: and the tables and people like Miss P [Joseph’s wife]

Joseph Hill: Yea, Yea

Issa: Do you find that

Joseph Hill: Big Strength

Issa: Do you find that

Joseph Hill: Big Strength, Big Strength,

[Issa chuckles trying to finish the question.]

Joseph Hill: A wall of strength. It is the truth. A whole wall of strength.

Issa: Because, do you feel that women bring in such a multitude of facets; their logic, their business sense and their loving support?

Joseph Hill: The fact is that, boy, the business they have more patience to deal with it. Because the if you’re going to look at a man and keep telling him too many times about corruption and try to provoke and disrespect his spirit for too long, maybe he won’t even have a second word with you. He just won’t allow it.

But the woman have the patience to stop you and test you if you are deliberate or you don’t know any better.

Issa: Right, if it’s ignorance or intentional.

Joseph Hill: Right, if it’s ignorance or intentional the woman will always turn you around [all chuckling].

S. Serpiente: My wife is always keeping me in line, I’ll tell you that much and God bless her.

Joseph Hill: Yea?!

S. Serpiente: Yea [all chuckle]

Joseph Hill: So therefore if it is being found out if it is intentional or whatever she in turn come and give you the word of information. Then both words again, words again, versus words again and versus words again, with that same obedience.

Issa: Is it comforting to know that you, no matter where you travel, as long as your Empress is with you it’s home.

Joseph Hill: Yea, it’s a little better, it’s A LOT better then just being out there alone. You sleep more easily. Then for you alone going into your room resting anything can happen to you. And you don’t want to have any type strangers inside of your room. It’s safe to travel with your family.

S. Serpiente: Do you have anything you’d like to tell the readers of ChicagoReggae.com or read this interview?

Issa: Is there anything we haven’t covered that you’d like make sure that you express.

Joseph Hill: In the near future, I would suggest, let us say, the web readers are the modern anancies [the spider storyteller of African and Jamaican fables].

Issa: The modern anancies, yes. [laughing]

Joseph Hill: Keep looking at the web for JosephHillCulture.com. And another thing, maybe also mention, at least that’s our little piece of anancy web there you can always look at Ras.com [the two aforementioned sited do not exists as of 2/26/07] to find, and Fast Lane [International] which books our shows [www.fastlaneintl.com].

S. Serpiente: Right, Jim Dooley has a nice Culture site up.
[http://www.cyberus.ca/~jdooley/index.htm].

Joseph Hill: Right, right that right, Jim do it there. Jim has a nice little website you can see. And, um, cheer up there ain’t no anthrax in the music. Stop giving up. No small pox, go out, enjoy yourself, cook and eat.

As for the people who are thinking wisely. I, myself, I am a messenger, not employed by anybody but The Most High.

I know that there are a lot of disease advertised to be going around, but the best I can tell any great survivor, eat up some garlic and you live to see the end of all things.

God Bless.